That last post was number 53. Herbie the love bug’s number. It was a long time ago but I still have fond memories of Herbie.
Category: Blog
Just a little note of little importance.
In this age of internet laden devices that you can take practically everywhere, land lines seem so, well, archaic. And since we haven’t used our phone here accept to delete sales call messages, we decided to just cut them off at the pass and get rid of the land line.
You can still get in touch with us through the Contact page on the website, which was and is still the best way. And we still have internet access and Wifi.
So, the next time you’re in Soundhouse, you can enjoy even more privacy and focus.
See you then,
mike
If we were in Dune, that’s what the question would be. For now … in this blog anyway. What would it be if … we weren’t? Gravity and Happiness? Grass and Ultimate? Space and Time? Fear and Love? Bottled water and “Corporations are people”?
Wait, wait – oh here it is: Seattle, Detroit .. What’s the connection?
A couple of clues I am able to share with you:
The Sonics were in this summer recording their new album (Welcome back to Soundhouse , guys!) with Jim Diamond producing. Jim tracked and overdubbed everything to the 2″ Studer. I was able to be there when they were transferring THE COMPLETE recording (all of the overdubs, everything were done to tape. Of course, not that spectacular 30 years ago, but it just goes to show that they are dedicated the the sound and authenticity) to protools for mixing. Sounded great! Jim took the files home with him to mix ….
Done yet??
Oh My.
A band without a name, pulled together by Stefan Moulvad of Denmark and “The Sandmen” came to Soundhouse last September to record an album. When I was first contacted by Mr. Fisk for booking, I thought he told me the band name was, “Overthere”. Upon meeting Stefan, he had never heard the name. No matter, it’s the music, Mac!
Stefan told me he put this project together with some Danish government funding, I believe, and had met Oh My Darling at a festival. Apparently he asked about where he should record in America, and within a minute and a half he’d decided to look up Steve Fisk. And so, Stefan came to Soundhouse with his drummer, Silas Tinglef and soon after, Oh My Darling (Check them out!), hailing from Winnipeg.
When you get this much talent in a studio, good things are bound to happen!
Really looking forward to the release!
-mike SoundhouseYou know, sometimes I get so distracted by all of the things that life throws at me that I forget that the path to doing it all is … well, doing it all. I just had a thought today that I don’t need to be totally submerged for days on end for each project. I just need to tackle a little every day. Anyway, we’ll see how it works.
But speaking of doing things everyday, I have had the privilege of seeing some really fantastic people work at this thing we call producing music.
I’m not sure I ever really understood the whole music business. While I had friends (well, friends of friends) that had deals with labels and varying degrees of “success”, I never had the experience, so for me the whole process was somewhat mysterious. Sure, I read things and heard things in the news, etc, but that’s all I knew about it. Yet, somehow I have found myself in the presence of a couple people who, every day, make a living producing music. And while I didn’t really have any expectations about the kind of people they might be, I found I was pleasantly surprised. They are both really, super nice guys. And in this business, that – and a certain amount of expertise and experience – gets you success. Every day.
I am talking about Jack Endino and Steve Fisk. While I’ve met plenty of super nice producer/engineers who are all, generally speaking, nice and skilled, Jack and Steve have been around for a while and really are giants in the industry. Not the Hollywood kind of, Larger Than Life – Who’s Dangling Their Kids Where – Do You See her Nipple?, kind of Giant. No, they are the no nonsense, blue collar, real thing, got their head on straigh,t PRODUCE EXCELLENT RECORDS kind of giant. Guys you can depend on. Honest (and that means a lot to me (apparently it means a lot to many, many musicians and bands, too)). I love being a part of this community.
Anyway, Jack has recently had a couple articles written about him (You Don’t Know Jack and Grunge Legend …) and Steve just updated his website so its much easier to see the depth and breadth of his experience.
And now I’m off to build a robot….
mike
Today and this weekend Sub Pop is celebrating their 25th anniversary with music on top of the Space Needle and a one day music Festival in Georgetown on Saturday. The Festival is called the Silver Jubilee and features some stalwarts such as Mudhoney, Built To Spill and The Catheters. There are some newer music makers as well, like the Shabazz Palaces and Father John Misty. Endino’s Earthworm will be playing too, at 3PM. They put on a Rockin’ show. You can see the line up here: http://silverjubilee.subpop.com/lineup
KEXP is broadcasting the whole Space Needle thing today, live. Many interviews and memories. The thing that I keep hearing them all say, in one way or another, is that they had, or were, a community that supported each other and each other’s music. Hallelujah.
Happy Anniversary Sub Pop! Thanks for all the music!
Well, what I found were two kids with very grown up sensibilities who know how to ROCK and take their rock seriously. I have recorded way more unorganized, unprepared and unrefined bands made up of “grown ups”.
Admittedly, before they arrived I thought that I’d try to spin the idea of letting me produce them. After meeting and talking with them, it was clear that they were going to be producing this. They knew what they wanted. And Executed.
They came to Soundhouse because we get some kick ass drum sounds here. You can hear some examples on the website.
All of the songs the Trasholes recorded and mixed were done without any artificial reverb on the drums. NONE.
At some point my beloved Fender Hot Rod DeVille (THE amp Ian wanted to use) took a crap. But we have a lot of nice amps, including an array of Fender amps. After going through a couple, dialing in the right amount of gain but still getting the rejection from Ian, I put up the Fender Twin (I ran the amps through the DeVille cabinet) and when I got it dialed in, he turned around and said – That’s it! He knew what he wanted.
When it came time to mix it all came together nicely; a raw, energetic rock album that you should hear.
You can buy the album right now, right here:
You can check them out soon, at the Crocodile, Sunday June 2nd.
And I think you should.
That is all.
-mike
Justin Cronk brought in this band last weekend, Burley Mountian. They were quiet, polite, blue collar guys.
I’d never heard them before and wasn’t sure what to expect. Half way through their first run through I turned to Justin and said, “Looks like you’re gonna have a fun weekend!”
Certainly reminiscent of Wilco, (at least what I heard) they sound like they would be a really fun band to see live. While I might call it Americana, their Reverbnation page says, “Country / Southern Rock / Electric Bluegrass” … I can dig it. Looking forward to the release!
I suppose it has to happen to everybody, sometime. But it happened for Tom Meyers (of Thee Emergency), in a special way at Soundhouse. It’s been a few years since Soundhouse had it’s first Bad Love Session but they came back with a vengeance! Bad Love FILLED Soundhouse with, well, the sounds of Bad Love Makin’ Music! And Tom was right there in the middle of it. When I saw Tom on day two, I expected him to look harried and maybe even tired … but if that was there it was well hidden by a knowing smile. I could only conclude (and received confirmation) that he enjoyed it. LOVED it. And was ready for more.
Looking forward to the release of the … documentation!
Well, it could be any number of things, the most probable is that we all are in one of the alternate splinters of time/possibilities that continues on because it didn’t happen, while our other selves were obliterated and/or are floating around in space singing David Bowie’s “Star Man”.
So, now. We are here in 2013 and I just want to say thanks to all of you for a fantastic 2012! I am really looking forward to hearing the albums recorded here – like the SEACATS who were just in at the very top of the year to lay down some more tracks .. Master Musicians of Bukkake, Seeing Blind and Birch Riley … Transient, oh and Dilana!
… I had to phone someone so I picked on You hoo hoo….
over and out